This one is easy. I saw King Kukulele play Quiet Village at Tiki Taix a couple of months ago accompanied by his brother on Saxophone. Yes - SAXOPHONE. It was the best version of Quiet Village I've heard, hands down. Too bad its not on a CD or anything - although, there was someone in the audience recording the show on video.

Well, the best live version I ever heard was at the Pipe Organ Pizza parlour in Milwaukee Wis. It was an off night (tues or wednesday), and the older guy playing the organ wasn't the hot shot dude that played on Fri and Sat nights (and did all the stuff from Phantom of the Opera, and that sort of thing).

Well I requested Quiet Village, and the organist had to think long and hard to remember it. He fiddled around, and then a light went off, and he started off with those low bass notes, and then he went to town -- using every crazy instrument that was hooked up to the pipe organ (that they hung on the walls behind him).

Just amazing!

On LP, I like Baxter. For something odd, listen to Lalo Schifrin's version off of Black Widow.

I guess I would say the version by The Surfmen from "Exotic Island" (also released as The South Sea Serenaders, "Trade Winds Romance From Hawaii To Tahiti"). I say that because it is the one that really makes it sound quite different from the original, yet completely still classic exotica. I also think it's probably one of the best exotic LPs out there.
_________________Paradise is a state of mind.

Grabbed a copy of Music of Hawaii by Henry Mancini at at flea market this past weekend. Although I can't say it's my "favorite" (a situation that changes from week to week or hour to hour depending on my rum consumption) I'd have to say it contains the best Quiet Village I've heard for the first time in a while. Of course... I like the weird-ass vocal version on Hawaii Right Now! by the Aliis, so you might wanna take everything I type with a grain of sea salt.

there is also a great version on a pipe organ lp i bought a while back called george wright at the mighty wurlitzer pipe organ. in that version the bird sounds are the "real thing" according to the album cover. this guy is the grandad of hip hop since unless they were pulling out tail feathers as it was recorded the birds were sampled. this pipe organ version is tikicleens fav version.
_________________i ain't drunk.......i'm jus drankin. albert collins

Right now my favorite version is the one by Vincent Bell on the album Pop Goes the Sitar. Selector Lopaka put it on the CD Music to Crawl By 2: Crawling Home I got on the Northwest Tiki Bar Crawl last weekend. It's a real way out version man!

I've got the Les Baxter and the Martin Denny versions. I guess I like Les a tad better, but not enough to say its way better than Martin's version. I also appreciate that the old Pee Wee Herman show had a bit of exotica based on Quiet Village to start off his kiddie show back in the 80's.
_________________All Hail Floyd!! (Mira Mar League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

Someone mentioned the Astronauts version, either here or on another thread. Check it out here. I really dig this version - you have to kind of think about it to recognize the melody since it's all surfed up in their take. More recently, Thee Phantom 5ive also cover the Astronauts surf style version of the tune.

I just found a version on my Ipod that I didn't realize I had... I don't even know where I got it from! Don Tiare and the Alohas from an album called "The Music of Les Baxter." Nice mellow version complete with bird calls!
_________________